A Houston mother and her three daughters are still searching for answers surrounding the 2022 death of Manuel Estrada III. Diana Martinez, Manuel’s mother, is desperate to solve her son’s murder.
“I’m trying to find a solution. What can I offer someone for proof that I need to find my son’s killer? I’m never going to give up,” Martinez said.
Manuel Estrada III was killed in December 2022, just feet away from LBJ Hospital.
The 20-year-old was shot dead inside his container-home apartment across the street from the hospital.
“Manuel is your baby?” Zachery Lashway asked.
“My baby boy,” Martinez replied.
“He was kindhearted. He loved his animals. He loved his family,” she added. “He was my baby that I wish I never lost.”
Martinez claims authorities initially tried to rule her son’s death a suicide.
“First of all, they tried to rule it a suicide. It was not a suicide,” she said.
Desperate for answers, Martinez hired a private investigator.
“I’m trying to find a solution. What can I offer someone for proof that I need to find my son’s killer? I’m never going to give up. He’s my baby boy. I love him,” she said, crying.
Manuel’s childhood bedroom remains untouched.
“Everybody says you go on with life when you lose your baby. You can’t go on with life. It’s so hard,” Martinez said. “The pain doesn’t go away.”
Manuel’s older sister, Elizabeth Delgado, remembers her brother as strong.
“He was a bull,” she said.
To the person responsible for his death, Delgado has a message: “We’re coming. He has these older sisters that are relentless. This mom is ferocious. We are not letting go.”
“We’re trying to seek justice for him. We’re asking anybody who has any kind of evidence, any little bit counts. I want his killer to face justice,” Martinez said.
Justice can only happen if someone provides answers to the Houston Police or Crime Stoppers. Your tip might be worth up to $10,000.
